<a title="SJVC Home" href="/">Home</a> &gt; Accreditation
<h2>What Accreditation Is and Why It Matters</h2>
Accreditation is the process for evaluating and assuring the quality of education used by the American higher education community. Through accreditation, the higher education community shoulders the responsibility for monitoring the quality of the programs and services of member institutions.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6230" title="Bakersfield student" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Bakersfield-student-600x320.png" alt="SJVC Bakersfield student listens while in class." width="600" height="320" />

Of the three types of accreditation (regional, national and programmatic), the most highly regarded form of institutional accreditation is <strong>regional</strong> accreditation. The regional accrediting commissions set a very high standard for the performance of the entire institution. Not all higher education institutions can meet these standards.
<h3>Institutional Accreditation</h3>
San Joaquin Valley College is <strong>regionally accredited</strong> by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the <a title="WASC" href="http://www.accjc.org/" target="_blank">Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC )</a>, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the <a title="Council for Higher Education Accreditation" href="http://www.chea.org/" target="_blank">Council for Higher Education Accreditation</a> and the <a title="U.S. Department of Education" href="http://www.ed.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Education.</a>
<ul>
	<li>• <a href="http://static.sjvc.edu/_downloads/docs/ACCJC2013SelfEvaluationReport2.pdf" target="_blank">View</a> SJVC's 2013 Self-Evaluation Report.</li>
	<li>• <a href="http://static.sjvc.edu/_downloads/docs/ACCJC-Site-Evaluation-Report-03-2013.pdf" target="_blank">Download</a> the ACCJC Site Evaluation Report.</li>
	<li>• <a href="http://static.sjvc.edu/_downloads/docs/ACCJC-Letter-Reaffirm-Accreditation.pdf" target="_blank">Read</a> the ACCJC Letter Reaffirming SJVC's Accreditation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>State Approvals</h3>
<a title="State Approvals" href="/state-approvals">View State Approvals for SJVC</a>.
<h3>Programmatic Accreditation</h3>
<a title="SJVC Aviation Maintenance Technology Accreditation" href="/aviation-maintenance-technology?postTabs=4">Aviation Maintenance Technology</a>

<a title="SJVC Criminal Justice Corrections Accreditation" href="/criminal-justice-corrections?postTabs=5">Criminal Justice: Corrections</a>

<a title="SJVC Dental Assisting Accreditation" href="/dental-assistant?postTabs=4">Dental Assisting</a>

<a title="SJVC Dental Hygiene Accreditation" href="/dental-hygiene?postTabs=5">Dental Hygiene</a>

<a title="SJVC Emergency Services and Safety Management Accreditation" href="/emergency-services-and-safety-management?postTabs=5">Emergency Services and Safety Management</a>

<a title="SJVC Physician Assistant Accreditation" href="/physician-assistant?postTabs=5">Physician Assistant</a>

<a title="SJVC Registered Nursing Accreditation" href="/registered-nursing?postTabs=5">Registered Nursing</a>

<a title="SJVC Respiratory Therapy Accreditation" href="/respiratory-therapy?postTabs=4">Respiratory Therapy</a>

<a title="SJVC Surgical Technology Accreditation" href="/surgical-technology?postTabs=4">Surgical Technology</a>

<strong>Veterinary Technology</strong>
The Veterinary Technology program holds provisional accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), qualifying students to sit for the Registered Veterinary Technician (RTV) exam for state licensure immediately upon graduation.
<ul>
	<li><strong>AVMA</strong></li>
	<li>1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100</li>
	<li>Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360</li>
	<li>(800) 248-2862</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.avma.org" target="_blank">https://www.avma.org</a></li>
</ul>
<strong>Vocational Nursing</strong>
The Licensed Vocational Nursing program is accredited by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT).
<ul>
	<li><strong>BVNPT</strong></li>
	<li>2535 Capital Oaks Dr., Ste. 205</li>
	<li>Sacramento, CA 95833</li>
	<li>(916) 263-7800</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov</a></li>
</ul>